Beyond - Legends Redemption of the Exiles - Concluded 5/2/08 - OCs, pilots, smugglers pre-NJO

Rightio, as promised, the update!

As Darvix slowly trudged through the dark caverns, he felt his hand slinking closer and closer to his hand blaster. Something in the back of his mind told him that it would probably be best to leave the safety off today. He wasn?t sure if it was the Force pulling at his nerves, or if it was simply the fact that he was hundreds of feet below the surface moving towards (what he assumed) was a city that may, or may not be, inhabited by people who were assumed to have been wiped out four thousand years earlier. Either way, he would be leaving the safety off his blaster.

Darvix took one more step forward. Suddenly the Force began pounding inside his head as if klaxon alarms had been surgically implanted in his brain. Quickly pulling out his blaster, he snapped off a quick shot into the darkness. Immediately, he knew he had missed his target. As he heard the sound of a blaster bolt, he stumbled backwards, just in time to see a red bolt land on the ground right in front of him. Before Darvix could move any further, Mirax fired two shots into the direction the enemy blaster fire had come from. The sound of laser on metal echoed through the cavern.

Metal? Darvix asked himself.

?For the love of the Force,? Mirax said as she cast a sideways glance at Darvix. ?You missed again. Who taught you how to shoot a blaster? My husband??

?Well if you had taken me up on my offer, I could prove to you that I?m a much bet-?

?You comment on my sex life one more time and I swear, Zorvan,? Mirax replied with a glare, ?You will find your manhood on permanent display on the Skate.?

?I appreciate you trying to clean up the gene pool, Ms. Horn,? Kasari said from the shadows, ?but you might want to take a look at this.?

Darvix moved towards Kasari, igniting his glowrod. On the ground was a smouldering hunk of metal. It took Darvix a few moments to recognize just what it was: a droid. A rather primitive droid. It vaguely resembled a protocol droid; humoresque features, arms and legs, torso, a head. Clutched in its cold, metallic hands was what appeared to be a blaster rifle. Darvix prodded the droid with his foot, partly to see if it would respond, mostly to calm his nerves.

?I?ll be damned,? Darvix said to himself. ?That part of the tale ?was- true.?

?What part of the tale?? Mirax asked.

?Apparently popular belief at the time indicated that the Promised Land was staffed by hundreds of servant droids,? Darvix replied. ?I didn?t buy into it, though.?

?Why?s that?? Kasari asked as she pried the blaster out of the droid?s hands.

?The answer should be obvious,? Darvix said as he stood upright. ?Droids would make lousy concubines.?

?Servants, Zorvan,? Kasari replied with disgust. ?Not sex slaves.?

?What?s the fun in that??

?Zorvan,? Mirax interrupted.

?What?? Darvix replied as he bent over to look at the droid again.

?I think we?re in trouble.?

?Did you forget to use the ?fresher before we left??

?Shut up,? Mirax said. ?Look up. You might want to put your arms in the air in a surrendering gesture as well.?

Darvix did. Darvix regretted it. The three of them were now surrounded by droids, armed with blaster rifles, all of which were pointed right at them.

?I?m going to have to agree with your assessment of the situation, Horn,? Darvix replied as he raised his arms to surrender.

***

Darvix frowned to himself as he tried to flex his hands, which were inconveniently bound behind his back. Shortly after he had been surrounded by the battle droids, two humans arrived on scene to take them into custody. His blaster and lightsaber had been taken away, leaving him utterly defenseless?well, defenseless against a bunch of Vitamin C deficient bottom-dwellers who spent more time in the dark than a horde of holo-gamers at a network party. If all else failed, he could shine a glow-rod in their eyes and escape while they were trying to recover their night-vision.

Grimacing as his human captor jabbed the barrel of a blast

 

In the corner of a dimly lit room, Darvix sat at a large desk. Piles of ancient datapads and an old terminal were strewn all around him. On the floor were crumpled up sheets of flimsy he had discarded. Ahmi had taken him to an archive center within the underground city upon his request (or as Lisae had put it, his demand). Everything he had just heard concerning Revan seemed to contradict the information held within the Jedi Archives. It was widely accepted that Revan was a fallen Jedi who had become a Sith Lord. Old Republic records showed that Revan had laid waste to countless systems following the Mandalorian War. To the people of the Promised Land, however, Revan was nothing short of a savior. It didn?t make sense, it had to be wrong. Revan was a tool of the Sith Empire, a destroyer of worlds.

Yet everything in front of him refuted that.

Darvix rubbed his eyes as he set another sheet of flimsy to the side of the desk. He had lost track of time long ago, he was simply too engrossed in the material before him to care. He picked up another datapad and powered it on, carefully reading down the text. Never in his wildest dreams did he think the Old Basic course he took at the Starfighter Academy as an elective would ever come in handy. It was a common misconception that Basic was just that, basic. It is a language that is timeless, a language that never changes. As time passes, however, dialects tend to change. Four thousand years was a long time for a language to develop. That was why it was so difficult trying to understand what Ahmi was saying, it was all but a foreign language.

Earlier he had read over a datapad that discussed Revan?s last appearance on Taris. This occurred a while after he had helped the Undercity citizens find a pathway to the Promised Land. According to Revan, the surface of Taris was still uninhabitable, and probably would remain that way for a long time. It was on this visit that Revan had made a prophecy to the people of the Promised Land: in four-thousand years, an outsider will emerge. This man will tell you that Taris is once again inhabitable, and that it is time to return to the surface. Revan referred to this man as ?The Descendant,? but it was unclear as to why.

Perhaps that was what troubled him the most. Yes, Darvix knew that he was part of the lineage of Atton Rand, an associate of another fallen Jedi, but as far as he knew, there was no relation between Rand and Revan. Something didn?t add up, and it bothered him greatly.

?Zorvan, it?s time to go,? Mirax said from behind him.

?Busy, Horn,? Darvix muttered.

?We had a deal, it?s time for you to pay up. I?ve got supplies on the Skate that have to be transported.?

Darvix frowned. He didn?t want to put a project to the side just when he was hitting his stride, but she had a point. In addition to the credits he had promised, he had offered to fly an escort pattern alongside the Skate until she could get to a hyperspace lane. Reluctantly, Darvix packed up his materials and made his exit.

***

Darvix pulled up the zipper on his flightsuit as he looked up at his X-Wing. Zone, his R2 unit, had begun the system startup as soon as he had stepped back onto the Taris surface. Below them, the people of the Promised Land were making their preparations to return to the surface. He had the information he came for, and now he could leave this backwater planet. With his flightsuit now on, Darvix grabbed hold of the ladder recessed into the hull of his X-Wing and climbed aboard, sitting down in his flightseat and strapping in.

Moments later, Darvix, Kasari, and Mirax were putting space between them and Taris. Darvix watched as the blue skies gave way to the dotted black of space, ?Alright ladies, atmosphere cleared. Lisae, if you would kindly turn your forward and aft sensors on.?

?Zorvan, nice of you to show up,? Vik Kelrune?s voice said over the comlink, ?Playing in the holosimulator by yourself gets a little old after a while.?

Darvix grinned slightly as he glanced through his starboard viewport, ca

 

ew Republic Military Medical Outpost 4077

Darvix wiped the sweat from his brow as stowed his flightsuit in the underbelly of his X-Wing. Brushes with the Imperial Remant were never Darvix?s favorite thing in the Galaxy. Thankfully, that event was behind him now. All that was left was to find the bar onboard this station and nurse a nice, cold mug of Corellian brandy. As Darvix walked away from his X-Wing, he spotted Kasari off by her starfighter talking with one of the Rogue pilots.

?It?s good to see Luke?s been letting you get some experience outside of the Academy,? Corran said.

?Well, it took some arm-twisting initially for Master Skywalker to allow me to leave the Academy,? Kasari admitted. ?Had it not been for Master Zorvan, I?d still be stuck on Yavin IV.?

?Your ability to put up with him is remarkable,? Corran muttered. ?I?m surprised you accepted his offer, given his past history.?

?Past history??

?Of course,? Corran shrugged. ?Most of the Masters and Knights knew about-?

?Mr. Horn, I would appreciate it if you would stop coddling my subordinate,? Darvix interrupted flatly. ?She gets enough of that from the Academy. Unless you?re going to teach me whatever Jedi mindtrick you used to get into Mirax?s pants, I would suggest you leave and attend your debriefing.?

An awkward silence fell over the three Jedi. Corran turned on his heels, walking away from Kasari?s X-Wing. Darvix?s icy gaze followed him until he disappeared from the hanger. The moment the door closed behind Corran, Darvix turned to Kasari, a fiery expression written all over his face.

?Just what in Vader?s bones did you think you were doing out there?? Darvix demanded. ?Where the kriff do you get the idea that it?s a good idea to surrender in that situation??

?We were outnumbered!? Kasari?s eyes opened wide as Darvix verbal onslaught began. ?Unlike you, I know when I?m in a bad situation.?

?They could care less about a couple of snubfighters and a meaningless transport freighter!? Darvix was inches away from her face. ?The first thing they would have done was eliminate the fighter support, us! They don?t take hostages. No one in a firefight takes hostages! It?s shoot to kill, Lisae!?

?Well rushing headfirst into combat isn?t going to help anyone!?

?It wasn?t rushing headfirst, Lisae,? Darvix replied. ?I knew what kind of a situation we were in. That Interdictor had every hyperspace route blocked. Those Interceptors were moving in to destroy both you and me. Those Bombers were deployed to take out the Gallows. All that would have been left would have been an undefended Pulsar Skate, and soon after, a very dead Mirax.?

?The Rogues arrived, everything worked out,? Kasari shrugged, seeming to shed off Darvix?s attacks. ?You should be happy. You got your adrenaline fix for the day, probably got your spice fix too.?

?Lisae, if they hadn?t shown up, or even been a few minutes later, everything would have been different,? Darvix said. ?If they had been late, and we had hung back, that Interceptor wing would have vaped both of us. That?s why I told you to engage the enemy! At the time, it was the only chance we had to save ourselves, Kelrune, Horn, and the medical supplies she had liberated on her ship! I needed you to help me get one clear shot at that cruiser.

?The Force isn?t the end-all, Lisae,? Darvix continued. ?Just because you?ve got a connection to some wondrous magic that gives you super-human abilities doesn?t mean that you?re invincible. Had the Rogues not shown up when they did, your plan to simply hang back and wait for the inevitable would have resulted in your death, I guarantee it. You would single handedly be responsible for your death, my death, Kelrune?s death, and Mirax?s death, not to mention every wounded soldier on this outpost that desperately needed these medical supplies. How does that feel, Lisae? Knowing that all of that blood would be on your hands.?

Kasari was silent. She wasn?t sure whether to cry or to slap Darvix for dressing her down like this. She refused to admit he was right

 

Don't know how but I missed a lot of the updates. Really glad I finally got a chance to catch up. Great work. Loved all the posts. I love where Dav is going. And the little "meeting" between him and Corran. Great. Kinda want him to forgive Corran but that's just because I'm a big Corran Fan. Keep up the great work. looking forward to the next post.

 

Well, I was here and decided to catch up on this while I was at it! I like the last few posts. And I don't feel remotely sorry for Corran - he had that coming. Nice snark of the NJO and whatnot with Wedge's comment about the "offspring." Made me giggle.

 

Myra! You're back! Thanks for catching up ^_^

And yes, I couldn't resist the opportunity to poke fun at NJO.

Voxynking, thanks for coming back and reading. I thought I was posting updates for nothing! Keep in mind, Dap has been modeled to be the "anti-Corran."

 

hey great few posts, ive been looking this story ages, keep me updated with it please.

 

Year Three
Chapter One ? Stomping Grounds

Darvix gazed at the students sitting on the floor before him. Kyle Katarn was a dead man as far as he was concerned. Taking charge of a saber class that Kyle should have been teaching was the last thing Darvix wanted to do. He had stacks of datapads on his desk waiting to be analyzed, yet, here he was, mentoring a horde of over-coddled, nauseatingly-optimistic students. There were countless episodes of Galactic Hospital he had recorded and were sitting for him. Not to mention all that spice that was going to waste. Oh, the torments he had planned for Katarn. Already, he was storing condiments, ready to pack them into a-

?Master Zorvan,? one of the young students interrupted his train of thought. ?Class began fifteen minutes ago.?

Darvix frowned as he glanced behind him, extending his arm outward. Calling upon the Force, he reached out towards a vibrosword resting on the table behind him. Almost effortlessly, it seemed, the sword flew towards his outstretched hand. As he tightened his grip around the hilt, he turned back towards the students.

?The lightsaber is the weapon of the Jedi, a tool of defense and peace, not aggression,? Darvix said in a somewhat monotonous tone. ?Unfortunately for you sniveling wastes of precious oxygen, you aren?t practicing with lightsabers. You?re here to perfect basic blade technique, and I?m not letting you anywhere near a lightsaber until you prove you?re at least somewhat able to hold your own with a vibrosword.?

?Master Katarn has been letting us practice with lightsabers and drones,? a Rodian girl objected.

?Master Katarn isn?t here today, and as such, you?re stuck with me,? Darvix motioned towards a case of vibroswords, ?Since you?re so eager to put me in my place, you?re first.?

The Rodian glanced around nervously for a few moments before standing up and grabbing her weapon. Darvix stepped on to the mat, his own blade hanging loosely from his hand. The young Jedi Padawan could only stare at him dumbfounded.

?Have none of you ever practiced sparring with a partner?? Darvix asked. The silence from the group only confirmed his assumption. ?Very well, get into your opening stance.?

The student hesitantly held her weapon at ready, angled slightly away from a vertical position. Darvix brought up his own vibrosword, wrapping his left hand around the grip and mimicking her stance. He wasn?t very well-practiced in this particular blade form, the Shii-Cho. Though today it was known simply as the ?Medium? form, it dated back thousands of years. It was basic, making it the form that was taught to all students.

?In this form, simplicity is your strength,? Darvix said as he dropped his right foot behind him. ?The great Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi used this form exclusively. If it was good enough for him, it?s more than enough for you.?

The girl seemed to be gaining some confidence as she stared Darvix down. The moment he gave the commence order, the Rodian lunged forward. Immediately, a grin formed on Darvix?s face. Instead of driving off her dominant leg, she strode forward. Already, she didn?t have enough momentum in her attack. At the last moment, Darvix?s left foot dropped behind his right. He lowered the hilt to hip-level, allowing the blade to cross his body diagonally. The instant their blades made contact, Darvix lurched forward, throwing the young student off-balance. With a flick of his wrists, he forced the blade out of the student?s hands.

?Drive on your first movement, don?t stride,? Darvix addressed the class as the Rodian stumbled backwards. ?This form isn?t particularly powerful, so it has to rely on speed more than anything else. The power you get is from momentum, and that momentum is going to come from your legs. Moral of the story? Footwork is everything. You can flail your hands around all you want, but if you?re not deriving power from your feet and legs, you?ve got nothing.

?As for you,? Darvix cast a sideways glance at the Rodian, ?I finally get why you?re always standing alone in the corner by

 

?You tried to best him in a blade duel?? Vik glanced over his shoulder at Kasari. ?You?re crazier than I thought.?

Kasari looked away from her command console, ?I could have beaten him.?

?No, you couldn?t have,? Vik replied as he looked through the forward viewport onboard the bridge of the Tatooine Gallows. ?Jedi or not, taking on Zorvan while he has a vibrosword in his hands is a death sentence. When he was at the Starfighter Academy, he cross trained extensively with bladed weapons because he was such a terrible shot with a blaster. You only agree to spar with him if you?ve got your mind set on getting a thorough ass-kicking.?

?You know, you?re always quick to defend him,? Kasari changed the subject, spinning around her chair to face him.

?You?re always quick to try and get in bed with him,? Vik responded without missing a beat. ?Your point??

?Don?t change the subject,? Kasari chided as she worked on hiding a blush. ?Your friendship with him is perhaps one of the most convoluted and confusing of any friendship I?ve ever seen. You?re, for the most part, ethical and responsible while he?s??

?Unethical and irresponsible with the maturity of an eight year old to boot?? Vik finished Kasari?s thought. ?You?re right, it?s a match made in hell.?

?Just how did the two of you become friends in the first place??

Vik looked over at Kasari. It wasn?t as if he had anything better to do right now. They?d be locked into hyperspace for hours more, and the hologames he was secretly playing on his terminal were starting to get old. Chances are Skywalker was down in his room meditating, and Zorvan was in his room shooting up on spice again. That left Kasari as the only one he could have a conversation with.

?Well, it was about five or six years ago??

***

Six years earlier
Coruscant ? New Republic Starfighter Academy base

Vik Kelrune rubbed his eyes as he glanced at the chart before him. When would he ever have to plot a course that took him from Manaan, through Kessel, through the Maw, and back to Coruscant? Why would anyone be anywhere near the Maw? If Major Klivian thought any typical student at the Academy could successfully plot these astrogation figures, he was mad. Anyone who wanted to even try this hair-brained stunt was crazy. Then again, this was Major Klivian, a former Wedge Antilles lackey. Crazy was in the job profile.

Out of the blue, the lights to his dark quarters were suddenly turned on, causing Vik to groan out in pain, ?Sithspit my eyes!?

?Oops, didn?t see you in here,? the all-too-familiar voice of Major Janson said.

?Yes you did!?

?True,? the major replied. ?You should get outside more. Some light would be good for your complexion.?

?With all due respect, Major,? Vik continued to rub the pain out of his eyes, ?what the kriff are you doing here??

?Just a wee little assignment for you,? Janson said as he motioned for Vik to follow him.

?I?m a little busy, you know,? Vik complained as he walked with Major Janson into the hallway. ?Apart from Klivian?s Astrogation Assignment of Doom, you?ve got me taking apart a hyperspace motivator. Not to mention I?ve got a skirmish exam first thing in the morning.?

?Well, if you want to pass that exam you?d best continue walking with me,? Janson stepped into a repulsorlift. ?Your wingman will be here in about fifteen minutes.?

?Wingman?? A look of confusion befell Vik?s face. ?Why are you dragging me out to see Vranton??

Vik had a two versus two combat simulator exam first thing in the morning, and he was slated to fly alongside LaDrake Vranton, one of the older (and significantly more gifted) students at the academy. It would probably be a relatively simple exam, considering who his wingman was. Vranton would most likely take care of most of the mission parameters himself, while Vik flew the perimeter to make sure nothing out-of-the-ordinary happened.

?Change of plans,? Janson said over his shoulder. ?Salgar will be flying on Vranton?s wing, and you?ll be wing commander over a new rookie.?

?Roo

 

?Most pilots would just trust their gut out there. You?re relying entirely on equations and physics to do your job done. You?re the human datapad.?
Totally arrogant manuver, letting his wingman get chewed to pull off it off, brushed aside and dismissed as easy. Yep. Dap 1.0 is back! Yet I don't miss him I like that you did manage to recapture the old Dap. He has changed so much over the years, both by his character growth/recession and your growth as a writer.

?You, my friend, are a complete and utter ass,?
*Snicker* Yep, Dap's still there. The new Dap. Or is it the old? It's odd that Vik knows him so well yet hasn't seen him in years. So much has happened. Dap is growing so much in some areas yet regressing in others. It's all Fel's fault. And Corran's. And Cheriss'.

Kasari and Vik, both Dap abuse junkies. Bonding. *Frowns at her Dap/Kasari T-shirt* I wonder if I need to get this changed to say Vik/Kasari...

*Begins to pitch tent to wait for next chapter*

 

Training with vibroblades? Its funny how Dap's earlier extracurricular stuff set him up for being a jedi.^^

Good job on the story so far.

 

Sorry about how long this took. I've been swamped trying to adjust to college life, but my schedule is starting to even out!

So, thanks for reading the last post, everyone. I'll try and stay on top of the ball a bit more.

***
Next Post

Darvix ducked under blaster fire as he clumsily stumbled through the desert sands of Tatooine. Without even looking over his shoulder, he fired his blaster behind his back, hoping that one of his wild shots would hit one of their pursuers. Vik, running beside him, followed suit in firing blindly behind them. Closing the gap slowly, but surely were a group of very angry Tuskan raiders.

?I told you we were treading in their territory!? Vik yelled as he snapped off another series of hurried shots. ?You of all people should know that!?

?Can we forget my vices and get back to my virtues!?? Darvix replied.

?Will you both shut up and figure out how to get out of this mess?? Kasari said as she fired a few shots of her own.

Skywalker had broken off from the party a few hours earlier, insisting that he had people he needed to speak to. He had assured them that they would meet up shortly. Meanwhile, Darvix had decided to do some exploring of his own. One thing had led to another, and now they were being chased by Tuskans who clearly wanted them dead.

?Funny what happens when you decide to explore a Tuskan graveyard, huh?? Darvix said between breaths.

?Tuskan graveyard?? Vik was beside himself. ?You led us into a Tuskan graveyard? Are you crazy??

?You already know the answer to that,? Darvix snapped off another shot, hitting a Tuskan raider square in the chest. ?Look ahead!?

Not far in the distance, Darvix could make out the shape of a homestead. Most likely, it belonged to a moisture farmer. If they could make it there, they would have enough cover to fend off the Tuskan raiders. Of course, if they didn?t make it in time, they would be overrun by the raiders, pummeled into oblivion, vivisected, and forced to watch as their own entrails spilled onto the sand below them. Most certainly not a pleasant thought. Darvix liked his innards where they were.

Reaching for his belt, Darvix brandished a spherical, metallic object. Without thinking, he tossed it towards Vik, who effortlessly caught it on the run.

?What is that?? Kasari asked, wheezing for breath.

?Thermal detonator,? Darvix replied as he squeezed off a handful of shots from his blaster.

?Why didn?t you throw it yourself??

?Because,? Vik armed the thermal detonator and stopped dead in his tracks, spinning around and launching the explosive device, ?he throws like a paralyzed Jawa.?

The three began running towards the homestead again. Moments later, an explosion detonated behind them, leveling a few more of the Tuskans and allowing them to widen the distance between the two parties. As Darvix neared the homestead, he spotted two objects on the surrounding wall pivoting towards them. Immediately realizing what they were, Darvix grabbled a hold of Vik and Kasari, throwing them to the ground. As he hit the sand himself, he threw his arms over his head for cover. The sound of laser blasts from the wall-mounted auto turrets rang through the air and over their heads.

For a long while, the three of them didn?t move. With their faces planted firmly into the sand, they awaited the death that was surely to come. It wasn?t until Darvix felt a boot nudging his ribcage that he looked up.

?Honestly, Dap,? Skywalker chided as he stared down at the sand-covered Jedi, ?can?t you come through the front door like everyone else??

?Front door?? a familiar voice said. ?He was always breaking curfew and coming in through his bedroom window.?

Darvix sat upright, looking up at the two men. As he glanced behind him, he saw a line of dead Tuskan raiders behind them. The pursuers were gone. Darvix looked forward again. With a jolt (as well as the feeling of impending indigestion), Darvix realized where it was he had stumbled into. As he glanced around his surroundings, he knew there was no mistaking it. He was

 

Year Three, Chapter Three
Maps

The desert heat provided by Tatooine?s twin suns was unbearable. Kasari was growing to hate this particular planet more than any other backwater hell-hole she had ever been forced to visit. She could tell Vik was holding up no better under the blistering heat, yet Skywalker seemed to be fine. His comfort in the torturous temperature was almost maddening.

?How can you possibly stand this heat?? Vik asked. ?Vader?s Bones, you Jedi have it made.?

?It?s got nothing to do with the Force,? Luke replied. ?I grew up here. They say the blood of a Tatooine native boils a little hotter than the average man.?

?Ah,? Vik looked thoughtful for a moment. ?That must be what gives you the edge you need to shoot womprats from a T-16.?

?That and Tatooine pilots are inherently better than everyone else,? Luke responded with a grin.

?I know a number of Corellian pilots who would beg to differ.?

Kasari frowned as the two men continued to banter. As she consulted her datapad, she realized that they were nearing the last set of target coordinates Darvix had given them. Covering her eyes from the sun with her hand, Kasari squinted into the distance. Sure enough, not far from where they were stood was a rocky outcrop and the faint outlines of a cave. That must be the location Dap had in mind. Stowing her datapad in her robes, Kasari began to trudge through the sand once again. As they drew closer to the cave, Kasari could feel the Force tugging at the back of her mind. Something wasn?t right.

?Master Skywalker-?

?I know,? Luke responded quietly. ?I feel it too.?

The three of them stood before the entrance of the cavern, gazing into its pitch-black depths. For a long while, the three seemed to be frozen in place, completely unwilling to move. Kasari glanced over at Vik, noting that his hand was hovering dangerously close to his holstered blaster.

?I?ve got a bad feeling about this,? Vik muttered.

?I?m sure it?s nothing,? Kasari took a step forward. ?Zorvan wouldn?t deliberately send us somewhere overly dangerous. Right, Master Skywalker??

?Of course not?? Kasari was less than comforted by Skywalker?s tone of voice.

?I still have a bad feeling about this,? Vik glanced around as he removed his blaster from its holster. ?I don?t care what you-?

Suddenly, a deep rumbling filled the cavern, causing some of the unsettled rock above head to fall towards the ground. Moments later, a horrifying howl filled the air around them. As the three of them looked at eachother, loud thumps began filling the air and shaking the ground around them.

?Oh sithspit,? Vik swore.

From the shadows, an outline of an enormous creature emerged. A set of large jaws and a horned, scaly head let out another howl. Instinctively, the three of them began backing away into the daylight, only to be followed by the beast. In the light, they could make out its enormous body, covered in hard scales. Its ten enormous legs shook the ground each time it strode forward.

?What in the name of the Force is that thing!?? Vik demanded as they broke into a run.

?Greater Krayt dragon,? Luke said. ?Supposedly they?re just part of the old Tatooine folklore.?

Kasari covered her ears as the creature howled again, ?I hate to break it to you, but I think they really do exist!?

?What do we do?? Vik glanced over his shoulder as he continued to run in full sprint.

?If the legends are correct, Krayt dragons will follow you until you either disappear, or it kills you,? Luke replied.

?So, either we kill it, or it kills us?? Kasari reached for her belt, withdrawing her lightsaber.

?That about sums it up.?

***

There was no way around it. Darvix was bored out of his mind, and there was nothing he could do about it. He wanted to sit behind his electronic keybed, but it was nestled on board the Tatooine Gallows. If he shot any more spice into his system, he was liable to dive headfirst into a stroke. Although, with the dismal progress Darvix had made toward alleviating his

 

Next post

Darvix tugged at the collar of his dress shirt, frowning to himself. Anya had brought him out to the Anchorhead spaceport for the Moisture Farming Festival, and to add insult to injury, had forced him to wear formal attire. So what if it was the dress code? No one in their right mind enjoyed wearing a suit on Tatooine. The Moisture festival was an annual tradition for those who lived near the Anchorhead spaceport. People young and old would gather to enjoy each other?s company and to celebrate another successful season of moisture farming. Couples would dance and children would play. It was enough to make Darvix sick to his stomach. He couldn?t deny, however, the enjoyment he got from listening to the Big Synth band that played every year. Granted, it was the music that most of the elderly partygoers listened to in their youth, but it was still his favorite music form. He had hundreds of albums from that genre stored on his terminal on the Gallows.

?Tatooine to Darvix,? Anya interrupted Darvix?s train of thought. ?I didn?t drag you here just so we could sit at a table and drink five bottles of Corellian brandy.?

?What?s wrong with drinking five bottles of Corellian brandy?? Darvix asked.

?Nothing, that?s fine in and of itself,? Anya said, ?but I want to do more than drink five bottles of Corellian brandy.?

?Fine, we can also get two bottles of Alderaani white wine,? Darvix said. ?Or a bottle of Calamari red wine. It all depends on the kind of mood you?re in tonight, really? You know I had a great bottle of Calamari red at Kal?s Fine Corellian Restaurant, ever eaten there? The manager?s special is to die for.?

Anya grabbed Darvix arm and hauled him to his feet, ?I want to dance, and you?re going to dance with me flyboy.?

?I?ve always liked women who know what they want,? Darvix grinned.

?Damn straight, and right now I want to dance.?

Anya led Darvix to the dance floor (which in reality was just an empty dirt clearing with a stage and band at one end). As the band began to play a slow ballad, Darvix took Anya?s left hand into his right and drew her close to his body. Six years ago he stood in this same clearing with the same woman, dancing to the same song. It was a month before he joined the Starfighter Academy. In those days, all he worried about were reprogramming the Darklighter?s moisture vaporators and staying out of the Anchorhead prison cells. Part of him longed for those simpler days, but he realized just how bored he would be had nothing changed. Anya?s elder brother, Gavin (who Darvix had flown with in Rogue Squadron), once said that Darvix wasn?t a person who would settle for the life of a moisture farmer. That was part of the reason Jula Darklighter had pulled a series of strings to get him into the Academy.

Anya rested her chin on Darvix shoulder as they continued to dance to the ballad, ?It?s been three years, Darvix?How are you holding up??

?Gavin told you, I assume?? Darvix replied.

?Of course he did, we were the only family you had,? Anya said in turn. ?I don?t know how you held yourself together.?

?I didn?t fare well,? Darvix admitted. ?Losing her caused me to do a lot of things I wish I hadn?t.?

No matter how hard he tried, Darvix could never quite push the events of that fateful recon patrol out of his mind. It was the midst of the Phantom Fighter crisis (the only operation he would fully participate in while a member of the New Republic armed forces), and he had met the love of his life. She was a fiery pilot who hailed from Adumar, a world that had recently been inducted into the New Republic. By the time he had joined Rogue Squadron, she had been an active roster pilot for six months. Their personalities immediately clashed, making it impossible to work with each other. Yet, somehow, a bond formed between them.

The two of them connected on a level that, to this very day, Darvix didn?t fully understand. It was an emotional link he had never felt before. Perhaps it was foolish, but Darvix felt as if th

 

I just got through reading Rise of a Rogue a few days ago and hurried to catch up on this one and I must say I am impressed at how you have developed the character. Darvix is one of the best original characters I have come across since I started reading fanfiction. His internal struggles mix in with his external interactions in a way that makes me feel sorry for him even though he is a total jerk to everyone he comes across. I am really looking forward to to more with this character and I am interested to see how the KOTOR tie-ins play out as well. I'll be back for the next post.

 

Hmmm. Looks like I have some reading to do. Somehow I missed about three or four posts. Looks interesting. And like a true curious fan I skipped to the end. Poor Dap. Three years.

 

Thanks guys!

I thought I'd best let you know, Redemption will be wrapping up within the next month or two. After it's finished up, I'll be starting work on what most likely will be my last epic-length fic.

 

Woo. One or two months. Can't wait. Will the last one be about dap too?

 

Yes, the next piece I'm working on is the final part of the Dap Zorvan series.

 

sweet. I'm looking forward to it.

 

24 ABY ? Yavin IV

It was dark in Darvix Zorvan?s quarters. The blinds over his windows were drawn, shutting out the hot jungle wasteland outside. The only light to be found came from his desk, were a small lamp illuminated the stacks of datapads that had gathered there. Slumped in the center of the desk was Darvix, fast asleep amidst his own mess. Next to the arm his head was resting on was an open black case filled with several hypodermic needles and several vials of semi-clear liquid as well as one empty vial.

Some had said that Darvix had let himself go over the past three years. His once clean appearance had been replaced with long, shaggy black hair and a seemingly perpetual 1700 Hour shadow on his face. He seemed to be constantly tired, which was only proven by the bags under his eyes (which seemed to have become a permanent feature). Students complained that he had become increasingly irritable in recent months. It probably had something to do with the short leash Skywalker seemed to have him on. He always seemed to be watching over Darvix?s shoulder, waiting for him to make a mistake.

Darvix was suddenly awoken by the sound of his comlink ringing. Groaning, he groped around his desk, knocking over a stack of datapads as he tried to find it. Finally, his fingers wrapped around the device. As he flipped it on, he brought it to his face.

?Zorvan,? Darvix muttered. ?This had better be important.?

?The Kalidor has landed,? a male voice said. ?Encrypted coordinates sent. You have a two-hour window, Datapad.?

Darvix glanced at his desk crono, cursing as the numbers 0130 flashed at him, ?Damnit Aves, it?s too early to be talking in codenames. Give me a half-hour?my blood-to-caf ratio is dangerously low.?

?Acknowledged, Zorvan,? Aves replied. ?See you in thirty.?

Darvix sat upright and glanced around his surroundings. He had fallen asleep at his desk again, and his back was killing him. Shaking his head, Darvix stood and moved to his closet. He carefully tiptoed around the stacks upon stacks of datapads that had accumulated in his room. Opening his closet door, he reached for his jacket, only to have his hand brush against his flightsuit. He paused for a moment to look at the orange suit. His helmet, painted with a yellow and green checkered pattern, sat atop the closet shelf. This was something he used to wear every day, something that had once been a part of his daily existence.

It pained him to admit it, but at that moment, Darvix missed being a pilot. Obviously, he didn?t miss the white-knuckle combat and constant fear for his life. No, what he missed was the sense of freedom it gave him. With a few simple commands, he could travel anywhere, at any speed, and at any vector. With an audible sigh, Darvix peeled his eyes away from the flightsuit and plucked his grey jacket from its hanger and left his room.

***

Darvix had met Aves a little over a year ago. After Skywalker had shut him out of the Jedi Archives, Darvix began work on finding information about the Star Maps from other sources. Unfortunately, he quickly realized that he had little skill for finding information that wasn?t directly in front of him. Darvix excelled at analyzing data, not finding it. It was this quandary that sent Darvix scrambling to find help. The trouble was, he had to keep it a secret from Skywalker. If he found out that Darvix was still trying to research the final whereabouts of Darth Revan and the Exile, he would probably be forced to strip Darvix of all communications privledges.

It was a dilemma, to say the least. Who could he speak with that would be both skillful at finding information and keeping secrets. In Darvix?s mind, there was only one option. Talon Karrde. It was said that Karrde had information for everyone in the galaxy, provided they had enough credits to pay for it. While offworld on Coruscant a year ago, Darvix had arranged to meet with Karrde. The meeting was brief and to the point. Darvix needed information, but didn?t have any means to pay for it.

Karrde came

 

Wow, I almost missed the update, that would have been bad.

It is good to see Dap taking such good care of himself as usual...at least he has kept busy with what Karrde has given him to work on. I imagine now that he has a reason to regain his focus on finding out about the fate of Revan and The Exile his condition might improve a little bit.

I am guessing that something life threatening will happen on Lehon especially with how steeped the planet is in the dark side. Knowing Dap's history makes me worried for him. At least he will have Kasari and Kyle to get him out of any trouble he is in. Especially since we all know that Kyle Katarn doesn't fall to the dark side, the dark side falls to Kyle Katarn.

Good post for setup to the mission to Lehon.

 

Thanks for reading, Marauder!

I've always been a big fan of the smugglers. A shame they don't get nearly as much attention in EU-fanfiction like the Jedi do.

And yes, Kyle Katarn is made of complete awesome. Kyle Katarn = Chuck Norris of the GFFA.

Anyhoo, post!

***
Next post

Lehon System ? 26 ABY

Darvix flexed his fingers around the flighstick of his X-Wing as he took another glance at his canopy-mounted chronometer. In a few minutes, he would be dropping out of hyperspace and into a debris field that would frighten even the most seasoned pilot. His teeth gritted together as he watched the chronometer roll back towards zero. It had been a long time since he had sat behind the controls of a military grade starfighter, let alone fly through extremely hazardous conditions. If he wasn?t careful, he would find himself resting eternally in Carth Onasi?s locker.

The Lehon system was filled with the corpses of destroyed starships and starfighters. Huge pieces of metal littered the space there, making travel incredibly dangerous. It was unknown where there was so much carnage left within the system, but one thing was certain: navigating through it was suicide.

?Zone, I?m going to need as much forward telemetry on the debris field as you can muster,? Darvix said into his helmet mounted microphone. ?Route that information through the primary display?Scratch that, can you superimpose an outline of all debris point-two clicks ahead onto the heads-up display??

Darvix?s R2 unit gave an affirmative trill. Plastering that information on his HUD would allow Darvix to ?see behind? large pieces of debris. That could give him the chance to plan his maneuvers in advance. The last thing he wanted was to circle around a chunk of debris only to be blindsided by another chunk. Warning alarms began to sound in his cockpit as the chronometer approached zero. Seconds later, the molten black and blue of hyperspace gave way into realspace.

There was Lehon in the distance, a brilliant blue orb surrounded by an immense field of debris. As Darvix approached the tangled and mutilated masses of metal, green outlines began to fill his heads up display. He?d have to fly quickly, any open lanes he might find could quickly close due to the moving debris. Darvix quickly rerouted power from his laser cannon system to his deflector shield generator and engines. Taking one last deep breath, he keyed in the command to engage his starfighter?s strike foils, causing the wings to deploy into its infamous X shape.

Before long, he was surrounded by the debris. He threw his throttle to full and began his grueling march towards Lehon. His eyes constantly darted around the heads up display, trying to find a small opening to fit his starfighter through. Darvix didn?t even realize that his breathing had become shallow with anxiety, and his rusty piloting skills only served to make his situation worse. As Darvix skirted around what looked to be a thruster from a Corellian Blockade Runner, a large hull fragment appeared in front of his X-Wing. Darvix quickly pushed both of his etheric rudder to the left, turning the X-Wing away from the metal with mere feet to spare.

?Hang in there, Zone, about fifty more cliks to go,? Darvix muttered through clenched teeth.

Darvix turned his X-Wing onto its side as he narrowly threaded his way between two jagged pieces of hull. As he leveled off, something crashed into his forward deflector shield, quickly bouncing off. It must not have been that big, for it didn?t cause any serious damage. However, the quick glance Darvix caught of the object led him to believe it wasn?t a piece of a former starship.

It almost looked like a corpse.

Darvix shook the image from his mind as he refocused his attention on the debris field. Lehon nearly filled his forward visual range now. Just a few more maneuvers and he?d be free of the field. He nudged his flightstick downward, ducking under the remnants of a large laser cannon. As he neared Lehon?s atmosphere, the green outlines of debris that filled his HUD beg

 

Edit: Sorry to DP, but I wanted to make this announcement for the few of you that do read this fic.

I just put the finishing touches on the last chapter of Redemption of the Exiles. I'll be making one post a week from here on out while I start work on a new fic.

Thanks for hanging with me for two years, despite all the writer's block and various lulls I went through!

 

That sounds great. I'm looking forward to it. Loved the comment of Kyle being the Chuck norris of GFFA. I aggree!